OWI defense, 48th District Court

OWI defense at the 48th District Court in Bloomfield Hills

If you were arrested for drunk driving in Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Bloomfield Township, or West Bloomfield Township, your case is at the 48th District Court, 4280 Telegraph Road in Bloomfield Hills. Michigan calls the charge OWI. The court is set by where the stop happened, not by where you live.

Before that court date arrives, check your paperwork for a refusal notice. If you refused the chemical test, you have 14 days from the date of the notice to request a hearing on your license. MCL 257.625f(1). That deadline usually passes before you ever see the courtroom.

A tree-lined divided road at dusk in autumn, wet pavement and amber streetlights, nobody in frame

Where is the 48th District Court?

4280 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48302. The court's phone is 248-647-1141 and the office is open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Three judges sit here. Our office at 33687 Woodward Ave in Birmingham is inside this court's district.

Which communities does the 48th District Court cover?

Seven: the City of Birmingham, the City of Bloomfield Hills, Bloomfield Township, West Bloomfield Township, Keego Harbor, Orchard Lake Village, and Sylvan Lake. A drunk driving arrest inside any of them is filed here, whichever agency made it.

How many OWI arrests happen in the 48th District?

The state's 2025 drunk driving audit lists 368 arrests across the seven police departments. Bloomfield Township had 149, West Bloomfield 119, Birmingham 44, Bloomfield Hills 29, Orchard Lake 18, Keego Harbor 6, and Sylvan Lake 3.

Blood tests are common here. Birmingham police recorded 29 blood tests and no breath tests in 2025. West Bloomfield recorded 58 blood tests to 28 breath tests. That matters, because a blood draw raises a warrant question that a breath test does not.

Source: Michigan State Police, 2025 Michigan Annual Drunk Driving Audit.

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OWI defense at the 48th District Court in Bloomfield Hills

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Call 844-ASK-AZZO and skip the form

The license request goes out first, because it expires first

Fee quoted in writing before you decide anything

14 days

To request the implied consent hearing after a chemical test refusal, counted from the date of the notice. MCL 257.625f(1).

368

Drunk driving arrests by the seven police departments in the 48th District in the state's 2025 audit.

Communities whose cases are heard here: Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Bloomfield Township, West Bloomfield Township, Keego Harbor, Orchard Lake Village, and Sylvan Lake.

How this works

What happens at the first court date in Bloomfield Hills?

The first date is the arraignment. The charge is read, a plea is entered, and the court sets the conditions you live under while the case is open. Nothing about the evidence is decided that day. The work on the evidence comes after, at the pretrial stage, once we have the police report, the video, and the test records.

A first-offense case usually takes about three court dates, with calls and emails with the prosecutor in between.

If your blood was drawn

In Birchfield v. North Dakota, 579 U.S. 438 (2016), the U.S. Supreme Court held that police can require a breath test after a lawful drunk driving arrest without a warrant, but as a general rule need a warrant for a blood draw. In a blood case we start with how the sample was obtained and how it was handled after that.

The license case is not in this building

The refusal hearing belongs to the Secretary of State, not the district court. It covers four questions only: whether the officer had reasonable grounds, whether you were arrested, whether a refusal was reasonable, and whether you were advised of your rights. MCL 257.625f(4).

Deadlines

14 days from the date of the notice to request the implied consent hearing after a refusal. MCL 257.625f(1).
One year of suspension for a first refusal if the request is missed or the hearing is lost. Two years for a second refusal within seven years. MCL 257.625f(1)(a).
Your arraignment date is on the notice from the 48th District Court. It does not pause the 14-day clock.

Request the implied consent hearing

MCL 257.625f(1), counted from the notice

14 days

Refusal suspension if the request is missed

MCL 257.625f(1)(a)

1 to 2 years

Working with us

One attorney owns your file the whole way. Your attorney calls you back, usually the same day.

That night

Keep every piece of paper.

You leave with a citation, a court notice, and if you refused the test, a notice that starts the 14-day clock. Bring all three when you call.

The first 14 days

The license request goes out first.

Because it expires first. The hearing request under MCL 257.625f(1) is filed while the court date on Telegraph Road is still ahead of you.

Before arraignment

You hear what you are facing.

The charge, the possible penalties, and the fee, in writing, before you decide anything.

Arraignment

The charge is read at the 48th.

At 4280 Telegraph Road. A plea is entered and conditions of release are set. Nothing about the evidence is decided here.

Pretrial

We read the proof line by line.

The police report, the dash and body camera footage, and the breath or blood records. Most OWI cases turn on what is in that file.

Fees

We quote a flat fee or an hourly rate in writing before we start. The same document says what stage the fee covers and what happens if the case goes to trial. Costs are separate and itemized.

No lawyer can promise you an outcome in a criminal case.

Questions

Questions people ask about the 48th District Court

Where do I go for an OWI in Birmingham, Michigan?

The 48th District Court at 4280 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48302. Birmingham does not have its own district court. Its cases are heard at the 48th.

Is West Bloomfield in the 48th District Court?

Yes. West Bloomfield Township, Bloomfield Township, Bloomfield Hills, Birmingham, Keego Harbor, Orchard Lake Village, and Sylvan Lake all file here.

I live somewhere else. Is my case still at the 48th?

Yes. The court is set by where the stop happened, not by your home address.

Is a first OWI a felony?

No. A first OWI is a misdemeanor with up to 93 days in jail, a $100 to $500 fine, and up to 360 hours of community service. MCL 257.625(9)(a). At 0.17 or above the maximum rises to 180 days and the fine to $200 to $700. MCL 257.625(1)(c).

What should I have with me when I call?

The citation, the court notice, and any paper the officer handed you about your license. The date on that license notice is what we look at first.

This page explains Michigan law. It is not legal advice about your situation, and the statutes and figures on it change. Reading this page, calling the firm, or sending us information does not create an attorney-client relationship. That relationship starts only when you and the firm sign a written agreement.

For the firm's full terms, see our disclaimer.

The Azzo Law storefront office on a Birmingham main street at dusk, warm light in the windows.

Lauren Sitto Azzo leads Azzo Law from 33687 Woodward Ave in Birmingham, with a team behind the work. If your notice says 48th District Court, call before the 14 days run.

Call 844-ASK-AZZO (844-275-2996). Have the notice in front of you. Your attorney calls you back, usually the same day.

Call 844-ASK-AZZO (844-275-2996)

OWI defense at the 48th District Court in Bloomfield Hills

Where is the 48th District Court?

Which communities does the 48th District Court cover?

How many OWI arrests happen in the 48th District?

What happens at the first court date in Bloomfield Hills?

If your blood was drawn

The license case is not in this building

Deadlines

Working with us

Keep every piece of paper.

The license request goes out first.

You hear what you are facing.

The charge is read at the 48th.

We read the proof line by line.

Fees

Questions people ask about the 48th District Court

Where do I go for an OWI in Birmingham, Michigan?

Is West Bloomfield in the 48th District Court?

I live somewhere else. Is my case still at the 48th?

Is a first OWI a felony?

What should I have with me when I call?

Explore other services

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OWI defense at the 48th District Court in Bloomfield Hills

Where is the 48th District Court?

Which communities does the 48th District Court cover?

How many OWI arrests happen in the 48th District?

What happens at the first court date in Bloomfield Hills?

If your blood was drawn

The license case is not in this building

Deadlines

Working with us

Keep every piece of paper.

The license request goes out first.

You hear what you are facing.

The charge is read at the 48th.

We read the proof line by line.

Fees

Questions people ask about the 48th District Court

Where do I go for an OWI in Birmingham, Michigan?

Is West Bloomfield in the 48th District Court?

I live somewhere else. Is my case still at the 48th?

Is a first OWI a felony?

What should I have with me when I call?

Where to go next

Explore other services

Car accidents and no-fault

Criminal defense

Truck accidents

DUI and OWI defense

Tell us what happened